


Sophomore Wallflowers

by AnnieVH



Series: Don't Come Back [16]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Flowers, Friendship, Gen, School Dances, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-09
Updated: 2016-11-09
Packaged: 2018-08-30 00:05:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8511097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnnieVH/pseuds/AnnieVH
Summary: Neal, Graham and Mulan attend the school dance.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Maddie was responsible for the beta, the brainstorming, and the title.
> 
> This takes place between chapter six and seven of Belle's Big Valentine's Day Surprise.

High Schools were vicious. It was a known fact that every child learned quickly, but every parent forgot as soon as they graduated. Baelfire knew that both his father and his mother led dreadful school lives, why else would they avoid talking about it so much? Yet, every first day, they insisted that he was going to have so much fun and make so many friends.

He didn't. There was something about his parents that just got the attention of the other children and brought out the worst in them. Milah's explosive temperament and Rumple's hesitant personality was just too juicy not to sink their teeth into.

“Your mom is crazy. Everyone knows it.”

“I've heard your mom is a drunk. Is that true?”

“Your dad is so weak. I bet you're weak too.”

It felt good to be invisible, for a change. No one knew that his mother was an impossible person to live with, or that his father was, well, fragile. If Baelfire had any say in it, he'd rather remain invisible for as long as he could.

He fiddled with the rose. Graham hadn't thought twice before snapping his own in half and shoving it inside his pocket, but it'd been an hour already and Bae was still holding on to his. He knew that trying to be charming in front of the entire school would only attract attention to himself, and while his classmates were more than happy to let him be now, they'd probably never let go of the fact that he acted like a complete idiot that one time in a school dance, only to be publicly rejected. Boston might have been more forgiving, but this town would not. Not if he made a perfect fool of himself in front of the _entire school_.

And Graham, his best friend... he hadn't had a best friend since the fifth grade and it felt good to have someone he could trust. But Graham would just think he was a dork, best case scenario. He probably thought that handing out flowers was something that girls did. Bae didn't want to risk that.

It just wasn't worth the fuss.

He returned from the bathroom looking for a trashcan where he could get rid of his rose, but soon Graham sitting alone at their table caught his attention. Everyone else was too busy dancing to a pop song he didn't know the lyrics to, so he scavenged the floor for Mulan. She was nowhere to be found.

Graham, who'd been looking bored, sat up when he saw him. “You took your time.”

Bae didn't sit down. “Where's Mulan?” he asked, looking around again. Mother Superior stood to the side, keeping a close eye on things, while a bespectacled man stood guard over the punch. Bae could tell just by looking at him that he'd be easy to distract though, that is, if someone particularly wicked wanted to spike the drinks.

Graham said, “She wanted to get some fresh air.”

“Why?”

In the dark – well, a sort of red darkness that tinted everything in shades of pink – Bae could see Graham biting his lip.

“What? What is it?”

“She got upset.”

“Why? Who upset her?”

Graham grinned from ear to ear. “Look at you! You're ready to fight for her honor!”

“Wha- I'm just worried!”

“Sorry to disappoint, brave Sir Neal. No one did anything.”

“Then why is she upset?”

Graham raised his chin to indicate a boy and a girl on the dance floor. The slender girl from their class whose name he couldn't remember had her arms around Philip's neck. They moved together a little too closely. Bae wouldn't be surprised if Mother Superior swooped in to remind them to leave enough space for Jesus while they were dancing.

It wasn't difficult to understand what had happened.

“Is she outside?”

“I think she wants to be alone-”

“I'll be right back.”

“Neal-” his friend tried, but Bae had already turned around and gone for the door.

Dad had told him not to go outside, but there was a security guard by the balloon arch. Besides, he wasn't going anywhere too far, he just wanted to make sure his friend was okay. Thankfully, Mulan was waiting just outside the door, trying to hide herself in the shadows, but still not difficult to spot.

“Hey, kid! Don't go too far,” said the security, aiming an angry face at him. “They don't pay me to chase you kids around.”

“I won't, sir.”

Mulan looked up at the sound of his voice, and Bae said, “Hey.”

She rubbed her eyes and turned away before he could fully see her face. In two weeks, Bae had only seen her wearing hoodies, but for the occasion, her mother had insisted she wore a green dress and make-up. She'd even tied her hair up, giving people a clear view of her face. She was such a pretty girl.

“Go away,” she warned him.

“I just wanted to know if you're okay-”

“I'm great. Go away.”

“Do you want to go home?”

“What?”

“You don't have to stay here. I can walk you home if you'd like.”

She sniffled in the dark, but when she spoke she wasn't as hostile. “I called my dad. He's picking me up.”

“Okay. Cool.”

Bae rested against the wall and rubbed his arms. He should've taken his coat before coming outside.

Mulan said, “You don't have to stay.”

“It's cool, it's just... I don't see what he sees in her.”

“What?”

“Philip? I just don't see it. She's... kinda bland... you're way more interesting. You shouldn't let him upset you because-”

“It's not Philip.”

Bae blinked in the dark, confused. “I thought... you were kind of looking at him all night. So I just assumed-”

“It wasn't _him_ that I was looking at.”

Bae was about to ask another question when he finally understood.

“Oh.”

“Yes,” Mulan answered, that simple word full of caution.”

“Oh... kay.”

“If that bothers-”

“No, I don't care. Like. Whatever. She's nice. Like, I can see why you like her.”

Mulan snorted, which was the closest to a laughter she could get. “You just said she's bland.”

“Yeah, but she's also nice.”

“She is,” Mulan agreed, full of melancholia. “She's very nice.”

Bae eyed the rose in his hand, then handed it over to her.

“What?” Mulan asked.

“You should give this to the person you like.”

She seemed to be grinning. “That might cause an uproar.”

“You gonna let that stop you?”

“I just might.”

“Yes.” He smiled back at her. “I guess you're right.”

A red car pulled to the curb and Mulan wiped her face one more time, though there were already streaks of mascara down her cheeks. If she wanted her father not to notice, she'd have to make more of an effort.

“That's my dad,” she said. “I'll see you Monday, Neal.”

“Hey! Mulan?”

“Yes?”

She turned around and Bae could see the surprise on her face when he offered her the rose.

“You should take it.”

“I'm not gonna give it to Aurora.”

“But don't you like flowers?”

“I do?”

“Well then,” he waved it in the air. “Free flower.”

She looked at him like he was a crazy person at first, but soon her mistrust broke into a genuine smile. “Thanks, you weirdo.”

“Anytime.”

Bae waited for the car to leave before rushing back into the warmth of the gym.

Graham had moved from the table to stand against an empty wall, where he could watch the dance a little closer without actually having to participate in it. He had a plastic cup ready for him when Bae joined in.

“So you just don't dance,” Bae asked, taking a sip.

“I look like an arse!” Graham shouted back, above the sound of the music. “Is she better?”

“I guess. Her dad just picked her up.”

“That sucks.” The other boy gave him a look over. “Where's your flower?”

“I gave it to her.”

Graham raised an eyebrow at him. “Is that so?”

It was clear what was going through his mind, so Bae said, “She told me.”

“Good. I'd hate to be the one to disappoint you.”

“I wasn't disappointed.”

Graham looked skeptical, but instead of saying anything, just took a sip of his drink in silence.

“Does anyone else know? Other than you?” Bae asked.

“Her mom and dad. But she doesn't hide it, or anything. People kind of talk about it.” He shrugged. “It's just not very clever to be so honest about yourself in a town like this.”

“No. I can imagine.”

“What a pity, though,” he said, a tease in his voice. “You lost your rose. What will you do?”

“I'll... have to rely on my charm.”

“Right. Well, if your charm fails you...”

Bae opened his mouth to answer with a jest, but then Graham was standing in front of him and he went quiet. Quickly, Graham took the rose that has been perched on his pocket and placed it on Bae's lapel.

“There,” he said, leaning back against the wall. “Now you'll have something to give when the right girl comes along.”

 


End file.
